2
Lungs and kidneys are major regulators of acid- base content First morning specimen slightly acidic at 5.0 to 6.0 Postprandial specimen more alkaline Normal range is 4.5 to 8.0 No absolute values are assigned Urine pH

3
Considerations include – Acid-base content of the blood – Patient’s renal function – Presence of a urinary tract infection – Patient’s dietary intake – Age of the specimen A pH above 8.5 is associated with an aged/improperly preserved specimen, so a fresh specimen should be obtained Urine pH (cont’d)

12
Hematuria: intact RBCs – Cloudy red urine Hemoglobinuria: product of RBC destruction – Clear red urine Any amount of blood greater than five cells per microliter of urine is considered clinically significant Chemical tests for hemoglobin provide the most accurate means for determining the presence of blood The microscopic examination can be used to differentiate between hematuria and hemoglobinuria Blood

20
Tests ability of bacteria to reduce nitrate (normal constituent) to nitrite (abnormal) Greiss reaction: nitrite reacts with aromatic amine to form a diazonium salt that then reacts with tetrahydrobenzoquinoline to form a pink azodye Correspond with a quantitative bacterial culture criterion of 100,000 organisms/mL Results: negative and positive Nitrite Reagent Strip Reaction